Without You
by God-Damned
Summary: Some things never change, but some do. Momiji's trying to cope with love. Unfortunately, he's not really good at it. And his life isn't helping either.
1. Default Chapter

Disclaimer: Fruits Basket or any of its characters are not mine.  
  
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The last bell sounded followed by the loud, jarring sound of chairs scrapping across the floor. Souma Momiji stood up along with the rest of his classmate and greeted his teacher. He looked up diagonally behind him and sure enough his classmate and cousin, Souma Hatsuharu sat there, his head on the table, most probably asleep, without even bothering to greet the teacher. The teacher doesn't even care that much anymore.  
  
Momiji stared at the head that he had come to recognise at any instance. Observing how the black strands from the roots faded into a pure white at the tips, he gazed dreamily at the one he loved. Yep, there was no use denying it. Souma Momiji was in, love with his cousin, Souma Hatsuharu. Not only that, of the same sex too. The rabbit of the cursed Souma Family had always been 'girly', dressing in girls clothes, crying like a school girl at any small thing, more like a child, actually, then anything. He had always felt an unexplainable attraction to his more matured and quiet cousin. He always thought it as brotherly-love, then as puppy love, expecting it to fade as he grew older, maybe away from that girly side of his.  
  
But dear ole' little Goddess of Fate decided to play a little trick on him. When Momiji found himself anticipating meetings and small greetings or acknowledgements, longing for swift touches, finding excuses to talk to him, for him to talk back, just to hear his voice, dreaming of him at night, of that bi-coloured hair, of running his hand through those spiky strands, of him lying right there beside him, of his soft, pink lips touching his.....Yep, Souma Momiji was in love.  
  
The blond tried everything to rid himself of that thought...thoughts of his cousin. His MALE cousin. He tried avoiding him, getting closer to the girls in hopes of feeling attraction their, in vain. He tried hitting his head against a rock, dunking his head in water for a whole 3 minutes and 47 seconds without coming up for a breath, reading porn magazines (stolen from Shigure) till he had to go to the toilet to puke and hide his head under the pillows for the whole day, almost suffocating himself but NOTHING WORKED!!! Finally, after a whole month of self-denial and attempted suicides, Momiji collapsed onto his bed, defeated and still totally in love with Hatsuharu.  
  
That was more than a year ago, when he was still the 'kid'. Now, though only a year later, Momiji was more grown up. He was still the cute baby of the house and class though. Nobody can miss his loud, boisterous voice that seemed to sing along to a sweet, soft melody every time he spoke. However, the blond rabbit seemed to have picked up a habit short moments of spacing out, thinking deeply about something, almost frowning. The girls thought he was growing up, but prefer it when he was happier and didn't have such moments, no matter how short. The guys thought he was growing up, and thought he finally found a girlfriend. And, boy, were they relieved. They even came up to him once to ask him who was the 'lucky gal'. Well, very sorry guys, no gal, only quiet, drool-worthy, GUY cousin. No. Of course he didn't say that. Momiji may seem idiotic at times but he isn't dumb.  
  
Oh yeah, and he started wearing guys clothes. Now that's one thing the girls don't ever wanna change. You never knew a guy's clothes could be sexier than a girl's till you see Momiji before and after. Momiji was like a walking sex-god. Yuki-senpai was turning into second favourite. Thing is, the blond boy still seemed as innocent as ever. He walks around school oblivious to all the lust-filled stared from hormone-raging girls (and some guys, yes.) and fan-girls have tripled after he actually SANG ALONG with them to the song that they have composed for him. Could've sworn more than half of the choir of girls fainted right there and then due to a combination of shock, disbelief and pure bliss at hearing Momiji sing. Yuki would have pummelled him.  
  
Back to Momiji himself. He actually half-expected himself to put on those briefs and long pants to be thrown back down to earth and hit his head and find out that he was actually NOT in love with his black/white cousin. But, unfortunately, he missed earth and fell pass hell, deeper in love with the slow punk-boy. He found something unexplainably sexy in being in sexy clothes liking another sexy guy. Maybe he fell from the roof that time when he was chasing after Kyo and messed up his brain a bit.  
  
During this time, amazingly in about 5 seconds, Momiji seemed to have drifted over to where his sleeping cousin was, hand out-stretched, as if to arouse him, or to just touch those white spikes upon that beautiful head when...  
  
"Momiji!" the boy jumped and quickly withdrew his hand as if it had been burnt from getting to close to white flames. He snapped his head around, his seemingly innocent eyes quickly replacing his love-long ones. Three girls stared back at him sweetly, oblivious to what had just happened or what had almost happened. Momiji could have very well molested his dear cousin while he was sleeping in class.  
  
Akane, Hiromi and Jun walked towards him hands on their hips. Momiji knew something was up. The stopped in front of him you could see them switch to 'pout-mode'.  
  
"Momiji-kuuun....." God, even Momiji couldn't whine like that. "Momiji-kun, you haven't answered us." Akane practically whined out. Momiji almost winced. It took a while for him to process the question. Answer them. Answer them. Oh yeah. Er...what was the question again?  
  
"Huh?" he blurted out, to add to the effect, he made the curious 3-year-old face. The three girls immediately melted and forgot their annoyance.  
  
"Er...Er...M..Momiji-kun," Akane stumbled upon her words, suddenly very shy. The two beside her blushed to the end of their hairs too. 'It always works' thought Momiji. "Do you want t..to go for karaoke with us? J..Just a round of karaoke." Momiji could immediately feel the eyes of the rest of the girls in the class on them. Damn. And he always found it hard to reject girls when they ask him out for some fun. Oh man, this was gonna be hard.  
  
Suddenly Momiji felt an arm slip around his neck and pull him back a little protectively. "He's not free today." A voice breathed out next to his left ear which sent shivers down his spine and Momiji had to swallow a gasp. Turning his head to his left Momiji came face to face with his very handsome, very smooth, and very close cousin's face. Momiji tried hard not to lean into that strong arm and chest when he almost fainted due to the close proximity of his long-time crush. He just kept staring.  
  
"Momiji not free today. He has to help me with something. Goodbye." And with that, Haru started walking, pulling Momiji along who only had the time to stretch and grab his bag before Haru literally dragged him out of the class.  
  
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Ok. I think I shall end here. Fine! I admit! I didn't know how to end! and it was geeting too long. Next time. 


	2. Without You 2

Sorry for the long delay peeps. Exams coming up. Not easy ya know. Most of this written in class so you have gotta forgive me.

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Momiji was dazed as he walked down the school corridor led by, not surprisingly, the one who was causing his current out-of-earth state in the first place -- Souma Hatsuharu. Stares were directed at the two and the girls thanked the gods for their luck at seeing the cousins together at once, in such a close gesture, no less. Haru, however, was oblivious just as how Momiji was fazed. It was only as the pair stepped out of the double-doors of the school building and the white-haired Souma removed Momiji's heaven-on-earth, i.e. his arm, away from its temporary resting place on Momiji's shoulders did the blond haired boy come out of his dazed state with a jerk.

Immediately Momiji started to blush. Fortunately Haru did not notice as he continued his way across the school yard towards the school gate. Momiji did not even realise he had stopped in his tracks at the sudden loss of contact until Haru paused at the gates to turn back and call out to him.

Momiji quickly recovered, smiling and running over to catch up, hoping his cousin didn't realise anything strange. Grinning, Momiji skipped past Haru, grabbing his arm and give it a tug shouting, "Ikuzo, Hatsu-chan!" It was a name Momiji had given him a few years back, a little while after they met. Everybody called Hatsuharu 'Haru' for short. 'Haru-chan' maybe, but never Hatsu.

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_ "Why do they call you 'Haru', Hatsuharu?" a chibi Momiji knelt beside his equally young cousin. They sat on the raised wooden porch of the main house as they waited for their mothers to finish their chat in the room behind them._

_"I don't know." replied Hatsuharu as he slightly swung his legs which were hanging over the ground, still too short to reach down that far. Obviously his answer was not enough to satisfy his curious cousin._

_ "Why not 'Hatsu'?"_

_ "I don't know."_

_ "…"_

_ "…"_

_ "Can _I_ call you Hatsu?"_

_ "… I guess so."_

_ "… … HATSU-CHAN!!!!!"_

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So that became a nickname for him. But Momiji never called him Hatsu-chan in front of others, only when they were alone. And Momiji loved it. It made him feel special.

Momiji kept grinning as he hopped along towards home, sometimes turning around and hopping backs few steps to match the pace of the slow cow. "What're you so happy about?" asked Haru all of a sudden.

The bouncing rabbit stopped in mid-hop, turning around to look at his cousin quizzically. Haru looked back with his usual bored expression, as if he hadn't said anything. Sometimes when they were talking, or rather, when Momiji was talking, he wondered if Haru ever listened. And when he did reply, Momiji would wonder if he actually _did_ reply. He always held the same expression. The only time Momiji ever saw Haru's face show anything but plain impassiveness was when he turned either of his black personalities or when he faced Yuki…..That hurt. That hurt a lot. To see the person you love smile, but not for you, or at you even. And it hurt even more at the skip your heart feels when you see that smile.

Momiji shook himself mentally, beginning to feel the familiar tightness in his chest. Now, gazing up at Haru who had stopped in front of him, Momiji had another familiar feeling – the speeding up of his heartbeat and the threat of his breath catching in his throat.

"Momiji?" Haru was now standing less than two feet away from him, looking down at him, puzzlement and slight concern starting to show in his eyes. Momiji couldn't help but think how cute Haru looked with that slight frown on his face. A slight breeze blew from behind Haru and Momiji's senses were suddenly assaulted with the musky scent of Haru's cologne that he had come to love. He took a deep breath, holding it for as long as possible, trying to keep it with him until he couldn't anymore and he let it out in a long, slow sigh.

By now, Haru was getting a little worried of his cousin. Momiji had been acting weird all day. He stepped forward to check on him better, the smaller boy's face was flushed. He didn't have any health problems, right? Like getting a fever from hopping around in circles too much or something like how Yuki would get an asthma attack from being out in the cold too long. "Momiji, are you alright?" Brow slightly creased, Haru leaned forward to have a closer inspection, advancing further. He was now less than a foot way from the blushing blond boy and Momiji found himself glued to the spot, his brown eyes fixed only on those grey ones in front of him.

Momiji felt drawn towards the warmth in front of him as another one of the chilly autumn winds blew towards him again, engulfing him in the sweet scent of crisp leaves and Haru. Momiji shivered from more than the chill. He was leaning forward, towards the source of the devils that were completely overpowering his senses and Momiji could not think properly. _Get a grip, Momiji!! No! You are not suppo… _Momiji's screaming conscience wascut short when a hot breath hit his face. All coherent thought was lost as Momiji leant ever closer…closer… those pink lips from his fantasies were so close… closer…the breath so hot… closer… just a bit more…

'_Thuck' _Momiji felt a sharp thwack at his forehead and he stumbled backwards, his hand coming to cover the sore spot on his head. _What?_ Momiji looked up at Haru. Like a meteor which was intercepted on its full-speed course in space Momiji collided back onto earth. And he managed to land on hard rocks. Hard, sharp rocks. And boy, did that pinch.

Haru was staring, finger still raised at its position where it hit Momiji. Momiji stared back… then he straightened himself up and turned to go like nothing happened. Haru was confused.

"Momi.."

"Let's go, Haru." Momiji cut in. To say Haru was shocked was an understatement. Momiji just interrupted him. When he was calling his name. And he called him Haru. When no one else was around. And he was walking away from him. Blatantly ignoring him while he was calling him. Haru was totally confused. His best friend and cousin had never done such things before. Never. Especially to Haru. And the fact pinched. Haru had no choice but to follow the blond boy who was now quite a distance in front. As they walked home, always maintaining the distance between, Haru did not pass up and notice the way Momiji's quickening pace and clenched fists, only to be relaxed again along with the slowing down of the footsteps, all the while he followed behind at a more constant pace. Haru was very confused, not to mention worried. What's wrong with Momiji?

Haru almost crashed into the said boy when the shorter boy stopped. Haru looked up and recognised the wooden two-story building that rose up in front of to be his house. The taller boy looked down again, expecting the shorter rabbit-boy to be already bounding into the huge mansion while unnecessarily asking for the permission to do so like he did so everyday after walking home together. But he was met with only the closed wooden door and empty space. Turning around he saw Momiji walking back down the gravelled path from where they had come from and make a right turn, going to deeper into the Souma estate, most probably in the direction of his own empty and cold house.

Haru frowned as he stood there long after the blond had flashed and disappeared around the corner before he turned around and pulled open the sliding door of his house and entered.

A few blocks away later in his dark bedroom, the blond boy toppled onto his soft bed, exhausted. He lay there for a while before he could take it no longer. Reaching out for the cow soft toy at the corner of his bed, Momiji curled up into himself, pulled the stuffed animal close and cried himself to sleep.


	3. Late for Akito

Yeah, I forgot to put in a disclaimer all this time. So Fruits Basket is not mine.

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His head hurt. That was the first thing Momiji registered as he cracked one eye open, still lying on his bed where he collapsed earlier in the afternoon. He raised his aching head up and noticed that his room had fallen into a dim light. Glancing outside his window, Momiji realised that the sun had almost set and was throwing long shadows of trees all across his house lawn. Momiji gazed at surreal scene outside his window, his lying his head down on his soft cow stuffed-toy that he still held in his arms. The shadows swayed and tangled around each other as a wind blew past, making the leaves rustle. 

Momiji registered the all too familiar musky scent of the stuffed-cow as it invaded his nose. Momiji had gone visiting Haru one day as usual and had 'picked up' some of the boy's cologne on the way out. He smiled, recalling that small, but nonetheless, triumph.

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_They were going to be late for school if they didn't leave soon. Momiji had just spent the better part of the last twenty minutes trying to rouse an especially sleepy Haru and prodding him (literally) to get ready for school. He entered the room once again just as Haru pulled his shirt over his naval and smoothed the creases over the fabric. The little blond blushed as a thought passed his mind on how he should have not waited that extra minute and just enter the bedroom a little earlier. He shook his head to rid him of that dirty thought and glanced at his cousin, forcing his blush down as Haru straightened his collar and sprayed on good amount of cologne that would last him throughout the whole day before dropping the almost empty thing into the bin right beside his desk with a sharp 'thuck' that brought Momiji out of his daydreams. _

_A sudden thought struck Momiji as Haru strode pass him, his newly sprayed-on scent assaulting the little rabbit's sensitive senses. As Haru stepped out of the room, Momiji rushed towards the bin and reached down to the bottle, hoping against hope that the glass wasn't cracked. It wasn't. He quickly stuffed it in his school bag and dashed out the door and after Haru before the cow could even notice the delay. _

_Hours later, when Momiji arrived home, he spent no time in pulling out the almost empty, almost, bottle out of his bag and practically showering his little cow with it. Now he could imagine Haru to be with him even when he slept..._

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Momiji buried his nose into the soft, furry, stuffed-animal as he giggled at the memory. It still smelled sweet...

Slowly, what happened earlier that afternoon seeped its way into Momiji's brain and another memory, more recent and definitely less pleasant the previous one, returned. Now Momiji remembered why his head hurt.

The small boy sat up, ignoring the bout of nausea swept over him as he did so. He hated crying himself to sleep.

Standing up and walking towards the door, intent of finding something to eat, maybe something cold that could numb his headache and fill his stomach at the same time, Momiji steadied himself against the wall with his right hand and grabbed onto the doorknob. Then he remembered, it was Saturday. Momiji always had dinner at Akito's on Saturdays. He turned around and squinted at the glowing hands of his rabbit alarm clock sitting on his bedside table. Great, he was already ten minutes late, and he looked like a bunny in rabbit-hunting season. Wonder what Akito was going to say about it.

Momiji stumbled out of his room and into the bathroom right across the hall. Akito was going to smother him. Taking a quick shower and checking his eyes for any puffiness (it was a little pinky still, but not that bad), Momiji swallowed an aspirin from the medicine cabinet. Only one. He hated depending on medicine but in such desperate cases, he had no choice. He then ran back across the hall, hardly bothering to even fasten the towel around his waist as he threw it in the corner once he was back in his room and threw on his clothes.

As he raced out of his house, and pass another Souma mansion on his far right, Momiji thought of how miraculous it was that a dinner at Akito's every week had become so much of a habit, so casual, that he even could forgert about it. Just a year back, nobody would even go to Akito and suggest a snack together if they didn't want a horrible scar left on their body or just a simply torturous day together with the head of the Souma clan. But something changed, about a year ago when two people had pried open the doors to Akito's heart and melted the ice within. those two people were namely, Senri and Momiji.

A/N: I know you're probably asking who the heck Senri is now but.... he is a made-up character from a related story about AkitoxSenri that I have not written yet. But I will...if I want to. For now, just read the story and understand.

Momji just wanted to make friends with Akito and Senri just wanted... Akito. And after much beating around the bush (and beating) they both got what they wanted, not surprisingly, softening the clan head along the way. Aktio's health even began to improve due to his change in attitude and much love and care directed towards him, though many are still uncomfortable around the thin, pale man who caused more than one of those under him scars too deep to be so easily forgotten, But they'll get over it, soon. Even one of the weakest and most fragile of the twelve jyuunishis was the closest to him, though it couldn't really count as Momiji was one of the two who opened the cold man up in the first place.

But now Momiji didn't have time to think about that as he arrived at the doorstep of the main house where he was to have the usual meal with the aforementioned Akito and his koi, Senri. Momiji knew he was late by about twenty minutes and, boy, was he going to be in for it.


	4. Akito's

FB is not mine.

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Akito's, Part 1 

"Where the heck is he?" exclaimed a very worked up Akito. "He was supposed to be here twenty minutes ago!"

Namuru Senri glanced at the pale man beside him and knew his lover was more worried than pissed. Momiji was after all his favourite in the jyuunishis and his most precious. Momiji was the one who helped open him up, revealing his softer side which was covered in a black veil ever since he was barely three when his parents told him he was cursed. Without Momiji, Senri didn't even think he'd be here right now, sitting comfortably right next to his beloved koi Akito in the Souma's main house. Akito was more laxed now with the jyuunishi's secret considering that his lover was an outsider to the family himself. He even knew of a coupla of other jyuunishis wanting to confess to their little sweethearts who were not a Souma. And they all seeked Akito's permission before-hand. He didn't really mind as long as the person to whom the secret was revealed to kept it a secret and really deserved the Souma member. Plus Senri had more than one sibling whom Aktio also invited to stay at the Souma estate. Senri was the oldest and had to work his butt of trying to make barely enough for his five 'siblings'. And he had to juggle that along with his college time-table. Akito took them all in when he accepted Senri and his love.

A/N: It's really just trying to explain what I have in my other unwritten story. It's may sound a little far-fetched but, hey, who's to say?

Akito's cute side was that he became very protective towards the jyuunishis' members and their feelings -- a side that he never really showed before except through simple mind-toturing. Like Yuki and Kyo. Too many people owed too much to the little-rabbit boy.

Senri thought this over as he pulled his lover closer till the other was siting on his lap. He was gaining weight, but that was a good thing when it came to Akito. With his bad health due to the curse, Akito was too skinny for comfort. Ever since Senri and Momiji opened him up did his health start improving. Now he had to try and make his mood improve.

Senri wrapped his arms around Akito from behind and whispered a small "Don't worry" into his ear. Momiji knew how to take care of himself. But Senri was also starting to get a little worried about where Momiji was. He was very seldom late for their weekly dinners at Akito's. Akito wasn't convinced, especially when he was in his 'over-protective' mood (which was almost every time). He went red in the face and started to struggle fruitlessly against Senri's hold around his waist.

"What do you mean 'don't worry'? He's not here when he's supposed to be! He's never late for our dinner's!" Akito finally stopped struggling after Senri loosened his grip a bit only enough to allow him to turn around and face him fully, his hands on his shoulders supporting him to allow full eye-contact with Senri.

Senri tried again. "He's alright, 'Kito. He may have just got caught up in something and lost track of time. You shouldn't worry too much about him. You're gonna work your blood pressure up."

"I have low blood pressure. Not high. You make me sound like an old man."

"Makes no difference to me, koi." With that, Senri jerked the man in his arms towards him whose arms buckled, thus making him fall towards him. Akito looked down at Senri getting a little annoyed. But noticing his current position with his legs on both sides of Senri's body, kneeling on the couch, Akito was not surprised at Senri's little move. Still, he was annoyed at it. To top it all off, he was frustrated and worried about Momiji. He was just about to open hi's mouth to protest when Senri silenced him with a calloused finger on his lips.

"Shh..." Senri moved his finger across the older man's lips, all the while pulling him closer with his other arm. The finger travelled along Akito's jaw towards his ear, causing him to shiver slightly. Damn Senri who had too much effect on him. Their lips brushed against each other and they pulled apart again, eyeing each other's lips through half-lidded eyes like a predator targeting its prey. They closed the distance within them in an instant then.....

"'Kito-niiiiiiii!" A loud voice pierced through the air, pulling the two lovers apart and away from their soon-to-be make-out session. Akito turned behind him to face the voice, ready to slap the person till he begged for mercy on disrupting his moment with his koi, only to find a flustered and sweating Momiji standing there before him, smiling that cheeky smile of his.

Immediately, Akito lept to his feet, leaving a half digruntled, half-relieved Senri behind on the couch (disgruntled from the interruption and relieved from seeing Momiji and not having to deal with Akito's whining).

"Momiji! Where have you been? You're late!" Akito walked towards Momiji who had the decency to look embarressed by raising one hand up behind his head to scratch it. Bowing, he siad, "Honto ni gomen ne, 'Kito-nii. But I was doing something and I forgot the time so I was..."

"You've been crying again." Akito stood in front of Momiji and cut him off, causing The younger boy to step back in surprise at the dangerously low tone Akito was using and at the comment. Momiji tried to deny, with his head bowed down, knowing he sounded totally unconvincing. _Damn, my eyes must still be red._ "No I haven't." He said in a small voice. He should have known that nothing could escape the Souma-clan head's sharp eyes.

"Is it because of that dumb cow again?" Damn. Bulls-eye. ((No pun intended here)) Sometimes Momiji wondered if he had made a right desicion telling the over-protective mna bout his crush. But Momiji knew Akito would find out anyway. He had this thing of seeing through you and finding you out whether you liked it or not.

Momiji looked up, feeling his nose souring again. He was tired, had a migraine and just had a small emotional breakdown. And Akito wasn't making it any better. "He isn't dumb." Momiji snapped back. Now it was Akito's turn to be surprised. How dare Momiji talk back to him? And when he's just trying to show concern! Anger welled up inside him and he was about to advance towards the blond boy when a larger body stepped between the two. Senri stood between them, glaring daggers at each other.

"Quit it, both of you. Now." There was a finallity in his tone and the two knew better than to go against that finallity. Despite how gentle and caring Senri was, he had a nasty bite when angered. Both of them had learnt that the hard way and they never wanted to go through that experience again. Senri had always thought that he oly had to deal with the kids this way, never with his koi or any of the other Soumas. Guess he was wrong.

After a little more staring, both stepped down and admitted defeat. Momiji bowed his head and started to apologise when Akito beat him to it. "Sorry..." mumbled Akito.

Momiji didn't look up. He knew it was his turn to apologise but somehow, he just couldn't. It wasn't even Akito's fault. Why was he apologising to him? He started all this. Akito was just trying to show he cared. Why was Momiji being such a prick? It wasn't anybody else's fault his damn love life was a mess.

And before Momiji knew it, he had the tears he was trying so hard to hold back just now rolling down his face. He couldn't help it. He didn't want to cry in front of Senri. And he sure as hell didn't want to cry in front of Akito.

Momiji felt himself being pulled into a tight embrace by surprisingly strong yet thin arms. Akito held him close as Momiji cried his eyes out for the second time in the day. It just hurt so much sometimes.....

Twenty minutes later Momiji was lying across the sofa, his head resting in Akito's lap as the latter stroked his blonde hair affectionately.

"Dinner's ready." Both boys looked up to see Senri walking towards them, smiling softly. Akito gave a small small back while Momiji tried to as his head throbbed once again as he sat up. "I don't feel very hungry..." the blonde whined out.

"Like you ever do. You've been losing weight, Momiji. This is not doing you any good." Akito chided. Momiji frowned and crossed his arms like a little child about tthrow a tantrum. He opened his mouth to retort when Akito cut him off again, "I'll stuff it down your throat if I have to. Dining room. Now."

Momiji just stared at the retrating back of the small man a little while more before looking at the other, bigger man standing there and staring at him. "What?" Momiji asked Senri, pulling out his curious innocent eyes again. Senri just smiled wider.

"Need some help?" he said, walking towards Momiji, still sitting down and extended a hand.

Momiji was about to ask why when he stood up felt a sharp pain shoot through his head. Immediately he reached for Senri's hand to support himself.

_Oh. _

_It's not that often I do this, right?_ Momiji thought to himself.

"Yes, you do." Momiji looked up at Senri, wondering whether he said his thoughts out loud. The taller man just looked down at him as they entered the large dining room. "There's a reason why Akito worries so much about you." he said before helping the smaller boy into this sit on the right of Akito who glared up at him.

Senri just smiled and took his sit on the other side of Akito, facing Momiji, as the two others blushed lightly.

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Momiji may seem a little OOC here. So does Akito. And that's basically everyone.

Anyway, I'm sorry if this chapter is a little confusing. But you must tell me if it is cos its obviously my story so I understand what's going on while you don't.


	5. Come to Play

Fruits Basket is not mine.

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Full and a little less depressed, Momiji left the main Souma house and started making his way back home, after convincing a very worried Akito that, yes, he'd be alright and, no, he did not need to stay the night, seeing as his house was in the same estate. And if anything, he'd call. After a full twenty minutes of insisting that he really didn't need to be treated like a baby and his little slump was over, Momiji was finally allowed to go and he dashed out of the house before Akito could say another word or change his mind. By the time it was already a little past midnight. They had a habit of talking and talking and basically wasting the time away in the main house during and after dinner.

Finally out of the watchful line of sight of Akito, Momiji allowed his shoulders to relax a bit and slump. Despite all the protests that he was okay, Momiji was in fact still feeling quite down. But that wasn't the problem, everyone had their ups and downs, even the seemingly ever-cheerful Momiji. It was the disturbing fact that Momiji had been feeling this way for the past few days, almost a week. Sure, the little rabbit got a little upset now and then but never for so long at a go. It had even started to affect his thinking.

Momiji couldn't stop from wincing as the memory of that afternoon flashed through his mind again.

Maybe Akito was right, he needed a break from it all. A break from trying to make everyone happy. Momiji knew he couldn't put anything pass Akito anyway. That was probably one of the reasons why Momiji was usually more himself around the Head of House and his koi. He knew he didn't need to keep anything from them (or rather, couldn't). But tonight, even Akito couldn't get much out from Momiji as to why he was crying. It's not like Akito didn't know. But he just wanted an explanation. Momiji swore he still had a little of that sadistic streak of torturing people left in him.

As much as Momiji loved Akito and told him just about everything, Momiji couldn't bring himself to say how much hurt he was going through. For as long as he could remember, Momiji saw himself as the one who brought the laughter in awkward situations. The one who made people happy, acting the clown, and although he doesn't seem like it, he understood people. He was always the one revealing other people's problems and trying to solve them. Not the other way round. It just felt... wrong. As open Momiji seems, he was in fact a very private person, disliking bringing up his own personal problems. And he hated it when people got too worried about him. He appreciates Akito, but it didn't mean he had to like it.

Reaching the door of his modest house that consisted of a garden and backyard, each about the same size as the main building itself, Momiji toed his shoes off and put on more comfortable slippers, the one with bunny ears on them. He made his way slowly down the familiar corridor towards his room. Even without the lights on and hardly able to see past his outstretched hands, Momiji knew exactly where to go and which step to take. There wasn't a sound in the house apart from the light thuds and scraps of his slippers on the wooden floorboards and if he listened carefully he could just hear the lone wind chime which he had hung on the back porch.

And if he had stopped walking and stood very still, he could hear the faint creaking of the ancient house around him creaking and saying in the night wind, as if the house had a life of its own, moving to try and swallow him up with its creaks and dark hallways.

But he had learnt not to be afraid of it a long time ago. It was just another familiar routine, anyways. Momiji reached his room and threw on the switch. He hadn't even remembered to switch it off before rushing off to Akito's. One of the maids must have already made her rounds. And sure enough, the towel and clothes which he had dumped in a crumpled heap in the floor was gone and he was sure more clean ones were put in his cupboard.

Momiji was about to take another step into the room when he stopped suddenly, leg in mid-step. He hesitated, then out his leg down, right beside his other one. Looking at his feet as if they could explain their actions, Momiji decided he did not like this. Did not like this at all.

He looked around the room -- his empty room, a single wrought iron bed placed along the left wall and his desk with his few books lay neatly against the adjacent wall, right under the window where Momiji could see a small pond and a young willow tree that already had its leaves hanging down, their tips just grazing the water surface and disrupting its quiet peace with little ripples, where the back garden connected to the front.

Standing there a while more, he then turn around, raised his hand to flick the light switch off again before he disappeared once again out of his room and out of the dark house.

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Once again, Momiji found himself in front of the familiar two-story mansion. Pulling the door open with almost no noise at all, Momiji stepped into the dim threshold like a veteran burglar. Indeed, this was not the first time Momiji was doing this. He quickly found his way to the staircase and started his way up, avoiding the creaky ones and still maintaining his silence.

Reaching the landing of the second floor, Momiji made no delay in taking the few steps to the door on the right. He gripped the door handle which, unlike the rest of the house which was all in traditional Japanese design, was a western design, made of high quality oak which few could afford and had a turning round doorknob. Here Momiji hesitated. He had come without a second thought, almost out of instinct, but he did not consider its implications or consequences. It was only some time after midnight after all. He usually only came at around three to four in the morning, just to be sure the boy on the opposite side of the door was asleep. Souma Hatsuharu had late nights.

Momiji looked back the way he came and noticed in the dim light coming from the lamp that stood on a small table down the hallway that he had left a trail of wet footprints of dew from his now soaking bunny slippers which he had rushed out in in his rush to get here.

That in itself was not a good thing as somebody would be suspicious. Momiji thought back a bit and remembered with the slight relaxing of his shoulders that Hatsuharu's busy parents were away on a business trip in Korea.

But it was still too early. He couldn't risk being seen by a white Hatsuharu and being asked of his purpose of his presence there. He looked down at his bunny slippers and its droopy ears, made even droopier by the dampness, for the second time tonight. He let go of the door handle and was turned to leave.

_Thump._

Momiji spun around to face the door again. Immediately thinking, praying he only imagined the sound.

_Thump. Thump_. Then a grinding sound like something rolling across the floor. _Thuck._ It hit the door. Shuffling then the 'Thud, thud' of footsteps before.... _CRASH_.

Momiji jumped from his frozen stupor and reached for the doorknob again. He twisted it and was just about to push it open when another resounding crash filled his ears. Something had shattered against the door. He heard more trashing inside. _'Oh God please...not again. No...Not tonight...'_

Bracing himself, Momiji pushed the door open to see the room in a shocking state. The sheets of the bed were tossed across the floor, books and stationary littered the once neat table and floor. The lamp that was standing there was smashed onto the ground and so were the few perfume bottles that stood on the drawers so that glass shards covered the wooden floorboards the and only thing protecting Momiji from them were his soft, wet and thin bunny slippers. A heaving black and white-haired teen in the middle of the mess, his back towards the door, his shoulders riding up and down with each harsh breath, shirt off and hands at his side, clenched into strong fists, bleeding freely with the blood dripping to the floor.

Momiji's breath caught, either with fear or the sheer beauty of the teen in from of him, or maybe both, he didn't know as Hatsuharu turned around to face the blond boy, a small sinister smile spreading across his face, sending shivers down the small boys spine and made him tremble uncontrollably. The crazed teen opened his mouth to speak.

"Come to play, little bunny?"

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Sorry for the late update. Busy. Exams over though. Cheers!


	6. After It All

I had a hard time typing this. I don't think it's good and it's totally pointless. basically this is just how Momiji feels after such sessions. What sessions, you ask. That will be in....most probably the next chapter. So let's just wait and see.

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His whole body hurt. He was tempted to think 'Why does my life have to be this way?' but he swung his mind quickly, almost desperately away from that direction in which his thoughts were heading. No. He could not think like that. He had already made up his mind a long time ago that he'd do whatever it'd takes to make him happy. But despite that, this was turning out to be a sucky day. Two days, in fact, as Momiji watched the quickly paling sky, signalling the imminent arrival of dawn. 

_Shit._

Momiji glanced at the sleeping figure in his arms and immediately a small smile played across his lips. It made his bruised and aching body seem almost worth it all for the peaceful face of the slumbering Hatsuharu. Funny how a person can look like a devil one second and such a beautiful angel the next.

The blond boy winced as the other moved in his arms resulting in more weight upon his body pressing against the back of the sharp edge of the bed head. He had to wince again as the sudden movement of his face made the sore spot of the left side of his face throb, which resulted in more wincing which resulted in more wincing..... Finally, Momiji just gritted his teeth (not too hard either as that hurt too) and tried not to have any facial expression at all to spare his hurting head.

Turning his head slightly, he glanced at the clock that lay upside down on the floor where, in the chaos, had found its way all the way to the other corner of the room. The piercing red of the digital numerals shone through the darkness of the room, lighting the space around it. Momiji saw, just on the skirts of the clock's faint glow, dark spots of a redder substance. He almost jerked as he remembered, suddenly, Hatsuharu's wounds. Looking down at the sleeping boy again, Momiji realised that the bleeding from the cuts on the hands of the boy had almost stopped, but not before staining the white bed sheets and almost all of Momiji's clothes. Dawn was approaching soon and Momiji still had much to do.

Slowly, the blond boy lifted Hatsuharu gently off his torso and almost dropped him back down again as his shoulder blades felt like they were broken but managed to hold him steady as his whole body quivered with the effort at holding the dead-weight of the other boy steady so as not to wake him up. Momiji silenced a grunt as he struggled to keep Hatsuharu's body at least a few centimetres in the air while he pulled his legs from their positions on both sides of the white-black haired boy, not without much difficulty.

Finally freeing his legs and moving them so that they hung off the side of the bed, Momiji carefully laid the sleeping boy back down onto the bed where the cow-boy continued to sleep on peacefully. He was grateful that his cousin was such a heavy sleeper. Looking at the younger boy a moment longer, Momiji let out a silent sigh before turning around and setting out to work. He put his feet down on the floor almost yelped out loud when sharp glass shards pierced his skin. Trying not to curse, Momiji lifted his foot which had lost its protection of his thin bunny slippers sometime during the struggle. Sitting back down on the bed again, Momiji examined the soles of his feet, trying to pluck out a few glass shards stuck to his skin and some embedded in his skin. Tears gathered at the corners of his eyes and fell down the side of his face at the pain.

Finally ridding all the sharp little evil glass bits from his feet, Momiji sat on the bed for a while, thinking of how to go about cleaning all this mess when he couldn't even move from his position on the bed without planting glass into his feet. Eventually, Momiji just picked up a pillow that fell to the floor a few feet from him and used it to clear the floor around his legs free of any dangerous objects before tentatively laying his feet, one by one, back down on the wooden floor boards again. So there Momiji went, sweeping the glass shards away with the white pillow, stained a bit with blood, from the sleeping figure on the bed, and making his way through the room, cleaning up whatever was to be cleaned up until the room was relatively neat again. Only thing different from how the room was before was few missing bottles from the top of the cupboard, a missing lamp (all of which now filled a once almost empty dustbin) and the boy lying above blood stained sheets.

Sighing, Momiji knew that now was the hardest part. Walking over to the where Hatsuharu lay, picking up his rotten bunny slippers on the way and stuffing them in the now useless pillow case with the pillow, Momiji once again tried not to shout out at his current situation. It was not the first time in the night, neither was it the first night such a thing has happened. Flashes of what Akito said to him time and time again went through his mind and his forced them out just as quickly. 'Focus. Just focus on what you have to do right now.' That was all Momiji was able to do at that moment. Standing over the boy of his dreams and staring openly (who cares? nobody's here) at that bare tanned back that he fantasized oh-so-many times of..... Okay, let's don't go there. The point is, or rather, the problem is that the said man of his dreams was now lying on once white bed sheets which he had stained red with blood that he now had to clear before any of the maids came on one of their rounds and make a big fuss of it. Even worse, to have them report to Hatsuharu's parents who will definitely report to Hatori who will report to Akito who will make a big fuss out of it.

With that (horrifying) thought, Momiji turned and went out of the room and into the bathroom a little down the corridor where he found the First-Aid box in the medicine cabinet where he left it the last time and returned back to the room with it.

About an hour later, Momiji had removed any glass shards from Hatsuharu's wounds, having had trouble with a particularly tricky one stuck in a cut in the corner between the boy's forefinger and thumb. The cuts, despite the amount of blood lost, were actually quite few and not all that deep. Next Momiji tried to disinfect them and almost suffocated himself by holding his breath for too long as, it seems, even in his sleep Hatsuharu could feel the sting of the purplish liquid on his cuts and kept twitching and fidgeting, but not waking up. Letting out a sigh of relief as Momiji finished and set the bottle of disinfectant down and realized again that his job was not done as he still had the bandaging to do.

Glancing at the digital clock again, which was now placed on the bedside table, Momiji realized with a start that it was 7:36 am and the maids would be on their rounds in less than half an hour and he still had so much to do! Trying not to panic as he carefully bandaged the injured hands of his cousin, all the while trying to be as quiet and gentle and quick as possible, eyeing the clock every two minutes. He finished with his job in 13 minutes and stood up hurriedly, causing the soft mattress of the bed to bounce a bit and Hatsuharu groaned in slight protest. The blond boy stopped two steps away, unconsciously holding his breath until the other had finally gave no more signs of movement or waking up. Finally, Momiji picked up the dirty pillow and stain bed sheets which he had removed while he was disinfecting Hatsuharu's wounds and the sleeping boy and turned away from the pain and conveniently off the dirty sheets. Gathering all those in his arms, Momiji left the room, flicking the light switch off and closing the door on the way out, leaving no trace of anybody being there at all.

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Review please. 


	7. Directed Anger

**OMG!! People!! I'm sooooo sorry. I just realised my story is totally messed up because I forgot this part! And not it's just messed up even more cos i added a part that was not supposed to be in here IN HERE!! I don't know what's wrong with me? I have too many stories going on to be sane. Anyways. Due to the slight change of plans in this chapter, I've got to take back the previous ones to update them. Sigh

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Disclaimer: I do not own Fruits Basket and its characters.**

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"What do you want, Kuso Nezumi?" came the harsh voice of his cousin, Souma Kyo.

"Nothing, Baka Neko." drifted the softer, gentler and more sly voice of Souma Yuki a moment later with the smooth reply.

"Then don't come any closer.." Kyo was clearly agitated, by what, Momiji most probably knew.

"Ahhhh!!! Momiji!" Two pairs of eyes shot to him as he walked into the living room of Shigure's house calmly, like he didn't just overhear what his two cousins were saying. Yuki quickly but casually pulled himself away from a blushing-mad Kyo who was lying on the floor, mouth half-open but with no words coming out to try and explain what just happen.

"Hi, Yuki! Hi, Kyo! Hi, Tohru!" He threw in the greeting for the brown-haired girl as she walked into the living room with a tray full of cookies. By then, Yuki and Kyo had amazingly repelled away from each other to take their positions at one end of the table and the dark corner of the room respectively. Momiji wondered why they tried at all. But then, he always felt it'd make his job easier like that, then. He felt the tugging at his heart, from either the guilt or sadness, he didn't know. It was too confusing. He bounced into the room, settling down opposite Yuki, blonde hair fluttering all over his face but he just pushed it aside. He wasted no time in attacking a cookie in the tray that Tohru had just set down.

"Hi Momiji," Tohru said in a more subdued tone, but not lacking in cheer. "I was waiting for you and thought you'd like these. I made them just yesterday. I hope you like them!" But it was obvious that Momiji did, already on his third serving as Tohru kneeled down at the small end of the table between Momiji and Yuki.

"_I_ wasn't expecting you." said Yuki, reaching out for a cookie too and giving Momiji a curious glance. Yuki was smart and he knew Momiji was not only able to give him a run for his money, but he was just as cunning too. Yuki had a feeling he had been spending too much time with the older jyuunishis. They were starting to rub off on the young boy. And that was not necessarily a good thing. If Momiji was here for apparently no reason at all, he most probably had something up his sleeve.

Immediately, Tohru looked at Yuki worriedly, afraid she'd offended him. "Oh! I'm sorry, Yuki. I forgot to tell you! Momiji called today and said he was coming over. You didn't have any plans, did you?"

"No, no, Tohru. I was just wondering why Momiji is here today."

"Yeah, where's the dumb cow that's always with you?" Kyo finally added his two cents as he joined the table and took one of the chocolate biscuits, brushing past Yuki's arm as he did so. The seemingly unintentional move was not missed by brown eyes and Momiji looked up innocently. He stared at the three before him as they waited for his answer expectantly, his mouth full of half-chewed cookies. He made a show of looking up at the ceiling as he thought; disguising the sudden darkening of his eyes he knew was there whenever he heard someone insult his long-time friend. He had enough experience with Akito to know that, despite his mask, his flashes of negative feelings to whoever spoke ill of Haru was written boldly and largely all over his face.

Finally he looked back down and swallowed and grinned mischievously at the red-head. "Why? Miss him already, Kyo?"

The cat was surprised and he failed to come back with a quick suitable response. Momiji chuckled and Yuki gave him another more curious and darkened glance. Finally finding his voice, a little too late, Kyo shouted a "No!" as his retort, glancing at the purple-eyed boy beside him but Yuki had just ignored him and proceeded to nibble on his second piece of the sugar-filled snack.

Tohru, apparently oblivious, or as good as ignoring as Yuki was, turned towards Momiji and asked, "Oh yes, Momiji. Why isn't Haru-san with you?"

Momiji sighed mentally. Couldn't blame them. He smiled and answered.

"He's still sleeping and wouldn't wake up. Hattori-nii's working too and wouldn't accompany me." he pouted to accentuate his point perfectly.

"Oh. That's… sad." She said, eyes downcast for a moment before perking up almost immediately and beginning small talk with the blonde bunny as all four of them continued to munch of the snacks. But Momiji couldn't help another mental sigh.

It was so obvious, this dance between Tohru and Hattori. You'd have to be blind not to see it. They were avoiding yet trying to find every available chance with each other. Everybody'll be thankful once this was over and the two of them just get together already. Momiji already convinced Akito to leave them be. Now it was up to Shigure-nii to push Hattori-nii enough. Then it was up the doctor to get up his own nerve to ask Tohru out. Momiji realized it may not be that soon enough and held back another mental sigh. It was bad for his brain.

His big eyes then fell on the two boys in front of him and Momiji suddenly felt it hard to smile. If you were blind to see what was going on between Tohru and Hattori-nii, you'd have to be dead to not realize the thing Kyo and Yuki had going on. Don't get him wrong. Momiji was glad that the both of them had found each other. They needed each other. At least that much was obvious during the past few months. If only… If only their relationship didn't make _him_ so upset.

And suddenly Momiji was having a hard time trying to quell an anger. An anger he would like to be directed at his perfect cousin. The one everyone falls in love with, with his beautiful grey, almost glowing-white hair and his lovely amethyst eyes. But he found that he could not, because it was not Yuki's fault, and he loved his cousin too much to hate him. No. He was angry with himself. Angry at himself for not being able to match up to him. Angry at himself for not being able to catch the eye of his love like Yuki so easily did but dismissed. He hated himself for….

"Momiji?" Tohru's voice broke into his reverie and Momiji was brought back down to earth to notice all three people at the table looking at him. "Huh?" He leaned back a bit, feeling very self-conscious.

"Are you alright? Momiji? Y...You..." Tohru tried to find a word but she didn't have to as something wet slid down the smooth cheek of the little bunny-boy and he jumped. _Oh shit._

"I'm sorry. I gotta go." He stood up hurriedly, his knee hitting the table and a few cookies dropped onto the table but he took no notice as he stuffed his feet into his shoes and ran down the stone path away from the house where three very confused/shocked people and a dirty table sat.

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Please, humour me and review for me. 


	8. In the Blink of an Eye

**Ok! Here it is ppl! Well, I didn't change it much, cos I found nothing wrong with this part being in. Just had to add a little here, tweak a little there. So don't be expecting any drastic changes. I got a little confused here and I may have repeated some stuff. Tell me if I did, k?

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Disclaimer: I do not own Fruits Basket or any of its characters.**

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"Konbanwaa, Tohru!"

"Ah! Konbanwa, Momiji-chan!" Replied the girl with a bow as the boy bounced in front of her, cheerful as ever.

_'He's grown so much'_ she thought, as she watched Momiji do a small dance in front of her at being greeted, acting like nothing was wrong. She decided not to question him about that day. It was not recently that Tohru found out about Momiji's past. And Tohru had learnt a long time ago that it was better to leave the Soumas alone when they threatened to break down. Sure, she'd love to comfort them, but she won't force it upon them to spill everything to her. They knew she was always there for them.

She thought back upon the day that the young blonde boy walked into Shigure's home. She was shocked the day Momiji walked in wearing, not his little frilly cute and elaborate clothes, but a casual yet simple long-sleeved V-neck shirt and long pants, something similar to what he was wearing now, just that he was now wearing a dark blue round-neck dark blue three-quarter sleeve sweater today. She had greeted him like a guest until the blond boy had shouted out in his usual bubbly way; "Tohru-chan!" did Tohru then recognize the Souma's bunny.

She hadn't really noticed how much taller he had grown until then. Momiji was now her height, maybe even a little taller by one or two centimetres, and he was still growing. They never really did realize that Momiji had stayed short for so long and just accepted it for how it was. They never saw him growing either, until it was already too late to notice. They also didn't expect him to have a late puberty, and such a fast growing rate.

But Momiji hadn't changed all that much, in terms of personality. He was still as genki (except once in a while like that day), still as eager-to-please. He was always around so much you never real bothered to look at him closely. Now Tohru slightly regretted for not paying more attention to her friend. But what's done is done and all that matters is that Momiji was still here.

Suddenly she noticed that Momiji had stopped singing and dancing in front of her and instead was looking as her questioningly. "Hai?"

"Tohru-san, daijoubu ka? Are you not feeling well?" _His voice is much deeper than before too._ The pleasantly deep tone still held a childish melody.

They did notice when Momiji's voice cracked, though. Who could forget that one week when it was all too quiet as the usually noisy bunny suddenly had a sore throat so bad he couldn't speak? Anybody could fall for Momiji now.

She turned her attention to the question directed at her. "Oh, no, Momiji-chan. I was just thinking of something."

"Oh, ok." The younger boy said, replacing his slightly concerned features with his usual smile. "I'll go over there and wait till you finish then!" before he hopped off a corner with a few couches placed against the walls. It acted like a waiting area for clients here for business matters in this big office building. Tohru was about to protest but seeing that Momiji had already made himself comfortable on one of the soft couches and was humming to himself merrily, plus it was not the first time Momiji had come to wait for her to finish work, Tohru just willed herself to do well in her job this evening to clean the building till it was sparkly bright.

Determined, Tohru spun around and began clearing the rubbish bin she was about to empty when Momiji had walked up beside her and greeted her. While doing her work, Tohru started to think more about Momiji.

Although Momiji still had parents she felt that his situation was much bigger and sadder than hers herself, she being an orphan with no parents at all. But her parents didn't abandon her. Her parents had loved her till their very end, she was sure of it, even if she didn't even remember her father, but her mother told her so. She had the chance of being loved and having a beautiful family. Momiji didn't. Despite his efforts to love, he didn't receive any back. From his mother no less. She couldn't feel it, but she could understand the pain that Momiji felt when his father told him that his mother won't remember him as her son anymore. And to see her everyday when he came to this building... But she could also understand the need to see one's own mother, despite the pain that she would never recognize you as her own.

Tohru stopped in her tracks and shook her head. She had to stop thinking, she's getting distracted and the two dust bins she just passed without clearing is a clear prove of that. She had to finish her work fast so Momiji didn't have to wait for her too long. So she got on her way...

¦lt/p

Momiji was getting bored. He couldn't help it; he was too active for his own good. And his back was getting painful. He could not lie on it too long. He now had to sleep on his front, too. Thinking about that made he think about how he got those bruises on his back in the first place and he halted his mind from going to that direction.

Standing up, he started to explore the place again. Not like he's never done it before, but there were always new things to see, since the building was always so busy and things were always changing. There was a new adventure everyday. Especially since now Papa has let him see and even talk and play with Mama and Momo-chan. He smiled at the thought of his family. He loved them so much.

After walking around for a few minutes and staring at a bug on the wall for some, Momiji heard familiar voices just around the corner, along with some men's rough commanding and brightened up immediately. He turned the bent to see a row of boxes along the wall of the corridor stacked high one on top of another precariously as some men moved them into an office just opposite. But they were already leaving one by one as it was already in the evening and their work for the day was over.

However, the ones he wanted to see were not the men (God forbid, he only had eyes for Hatsuharu. And they were too old anyway.), but to the females beyond them. At the other end of the corridor a woman with long hazel hair up in a bun and very well dressed was holding the hand of a small girl, no more than six, walking his way.

The small girl looked up and, spotting him, smiled. He smiled back. The girls mother, seeing that her daughter's attention was no longer and her, also looked up to see what the distraction was. The girl then let go of her mother's hand and started to run to the blond boy who she had become so fond of over the years. Momiji was as glad as ever to see his sister and started to walk towards her too.

But then Momiji's senses went on full alert before he even detected the danger and he looked up to see the boxes stacked up too high threatening to fall. The girl's mother saw it at the same time and both people started running towards the small girl who was walking up right beside those boxes. The boxes began to lean and fall.

There was no time to speak, no time to think, no time to breathe. The girl's mother reached the still oblivious girl but her momentum didn't allow her to turn fast enough. Momiji dove for them but it was too late…

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**I'm still having some trouble with the next part. I know what's supposed to happen, roughly, but I feel like it'll be stupid. Er...so I'm trying to reason it and find a right way of writing it. So...just to tell you, don't expect it to be updated so soon. Gomen!**


	9. Falling

**Ok...hm...I don't even remember whether I posted this chapter before. But here it is (again?). Found nothing wrong with it. Meaning it still fit in the story perfectly. The hard one is the _next _part. Dammit. As much as I absolutely love HaruxMomiji, this is getting tedious. Writer's Block? Yep. I think so.

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Disclaimer: I do not own Fruits Basket or any of its characters.**

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The boxes were falling. The thing was they didn't know what was in them. They could be heavy, they could be light. But who would contemplate about all those in such a situation? They just see and react. And that's what Momiji did. He saw. And he reacted. The boxes weren't light. Neither were they very heavy. But either way, that didn't matter now as the boxes fell just on top of Momiji's body which was shielding the other two whom he had pushed down and below him. Momiji let out a strangled cry before his arms gave way and Momiji transformed before even fully embracing the two females. 

Mitsuri heard the screaming and immediately knew who it was. He hadn't heard that sound for a long time, and he had thought that he'd never hear it again. He ran from his office from which he was just leaving in the general direction in which the high pitch sounds where coming from, locating the source in a few minutes and what he saw gave he the shock of his life.

Boxes upon boxes lay upon two figures upon the ground. One was his daughter, looking shocked but relatively unharmed and staring at something in her lap. The other woman who was screaming was his wife, a small bruise appearing on the left side of her forehead and pointing at that thing her daughter was holding.

As Mitsuri ran towards his family after a moment of shock, he saw the little object, it was yellow, yes, he could see it now, a very familiar yellow, begin to move a little. His wife screamed louder, on the edge of hysterics.

Oh no, please, Kami-sama, no.

As he reached his two loved ones on the floor and kneeled down in front of them, the small yellow object moved in his daughter's lap to look at him.

"I'm sorry, Otousan... I didn't mean to." Said the yellow little bunny with big brown eyes and a quivering voice before it passed out in the small girl's lap.

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**Please...please...review... It's quite pathetic, not to mentiondisheartening, to work your heart and brains out on a thing and see no appreciation for it. I'm going to cry my eyes out very soon. And my brain will leak from my ears. Don't be so cruel.**


	10. What Happened Happened

**Disclaimer: Fruit Basket is not mine.

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I borrowed the name of Momiji's father, Mitsuri, from Aishuu. (Hope you don't mind)

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Hattori walked out of the room and came face to face with Mitsuri who also just walked out of the opposite room. Both men stood there looking at each other for a while before Hattori decided to speak up. "He's alright. Just a little bumped up." He paused to study the older man's reaction. Mitsuri just looked down and away - like he was ashamed. Hattori pushed down the feeling of disgust.**

I borrowed the name of Momiji's father, Mitsuri, from Aishuu. (Hope you don't mind) 

"I cannot say much for his emotional state, though," Mitsuri flinched as Hattori said this, seemingly casually, as he removed his stethoscope from his neck and curled it around his right hand neatly.

"Yes." Mitsuri cleared his throat. "Can I see him now?" Mitsuri was no shorter than the tall doctor. His built was even slightly larger than Hattori's yet the guy with his hidden left eye always made him nervous. It was obvious that the young man didn't like him. Mitsuri could guess why. Hattori, like most of the other jyuunishi, would never forgive him.

Hattori stared at Momiji's father for a moment longer, contemplating his decision. Finally, he just stepped aside, signaling an 'okay' for the businessman to pass. Souma Mitsuri just stepped past Hattori and into the room behind him. Hattori's eye never left Mitsuri until he disappeared behind the door.

The Souma doctor just stood in the empty hallway and tried to keep his growing headache at bay. What happens now? Hattori thought, as he looked at the room in front of him, the currently occupied by two females, back on what happened.

Then he turned and walked away. He had to see Akito about something.

"Your blood pressure's fine. It's getting more and more stable." Hattori said as he put everything back into his case. "Your blood sugar level is rising too. But its still not in the satisfactory region."

"Hear that, 'Kito? I told you to eat more sweets." said Senri, Akito's lover, as he walked in, a tray of tea in his arms. "Who are you? Momiji?" was all Akito shot back with a mild, half-hearted glare at the tall boy. Senri chuckled lightly and set the tray down on the low table in the middle of the floor. "Tea, Hattori-san?"

"Oh, no, thank you." said Hattori standing up from where he was kneeling beside Akito. "I was just lea..."

"Hattori!" the door slammed open and a very hassled-looking Shigure came stumbling in. "Hattori!" Shigure only ever called his best friend by his proper last name when something serious happened. Shigure only ever ran and rushed when something very urgent happened. Shigure only ever had that look of panic when something bad happened. Hattori took a step forward and was grabbed by his upper arms by strong hands, trying to calm the other man down and found him to be shaking badly. Shigure stared into his eyes, panic written all over his face and in his eyes "Momiji..."

That was all Shigure was able to say before he was almost tackled by a worried Akito. Luckily, Hattori was able to squeeze a location out of the dog before rushing out of there, leaving Shigure to explain fully to Akito what happened and to calm him down. Hattori... he didn't need to know what happened. He only needed to know what was happening to get to Momiji. And all he knew was that Momiji was in trouble and that he had to get there, fast.

And he did. He rushed to Souma Mitsuri's company in record time and all went downhill from there.

Momiji didn't look up as the door opened. "Momiji," a soft voice called his name and the blond boy recognized it immediately. He looked up, eyes wide, at the man standing in the doorway. "Papa!"

Seiji took four strides and into his son's out-stretched arms and held him tight. "Papa! I didn't mean it! I swear! Please Papa, I didn't mean to..." His son's hoarse voice was chocked with sobs and his small frame quivered as tears soaked his brown business suit.

He loved his son. But he had neglected him. That Souma Mitsuri could not deny. Even though he had supported him financially all this while, Mitsuri had never been there for Momiji. He was aware that the only times he and Momiji talked was so that he could remind him to be careful and not be spotted by his family.

Mitsuri's family. Momiji's family.

It was selfish, how he took Momiji's mother away from him and denied him the warmth of parents' love. But he had protected him too. To have her son be a member of the cursed zodiac was too much for Anne. She was going crazy. It would have hurt Momiji more to have his mother try and kill herself in front of him every time he stepped into the room. It was the better thing for all of them. He had protected all of them.

But, now... How could he do this again? Go through all this once again? Does Momiji have to go through all of this again!

"Papa," Brown eyes looked up at him.

Yes. He did.

Flashback: After Momiji had transformed. Mitsuri's POV

Anne was screaming. The sound rang in my ears.

"No! No! No! Nooooooooooo! He's not my son! No! AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH" She passed out.

Momiji was still staring at me. He had said something but Anne's voice had drowned out all other sounds. Now Momo looked up at me with her sweet brown eyes, exactly like her brother's. She was shocked, he could see.

"Papa..." I looked down at Momiji again, half-covered by his clothes. Then I ran into my office and called the main house.


	11. Harsh Reality

**Um... yeah. I don't need to accentuate that it's been a long time. But I didn't expect poly to be this busy. I'll try and update during this one-month holiday as much as possible. K?**

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Disclaimer: I do not own Fruits Basket or any of its characters.** **

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**"How is he!" An almost hysterical Akito came hurtling towards him before Hattori even had the chance to fully step into the room. Luckily, his younger (and, fortunately, more calm) lover, Senri pulled him back before the clan head could tear Hattori's suit in his desperate clawing. 

Unmoved, Hattori replied steadily, "He's doing fine." Akito was about to retort but Hattori cut him off before he could. "I need to talk to you about him."

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He took his time getting there. Shigure in front of him didn't seem to want him to, though. He was acting weird. He knew something was wrong but didn't want to ask. He had a feeling it was better not to. He would find out eventually. Soon enough. Akito didn't usually call you to him just because he 'just wanted to talk' anymore. He thought it all stopped after he had his boyfriend. Oh well. 

They paused in front of the wooden door. His cousin seemed to hesitate before turning around and facing him. Haru just gave a confused look back at the unreadable expression on his older cousin's face. He didn't have time to contemplate what the look meant before Shigure pulled the door open and motioned him to enter. He did promptly. It was not the first time. Shigure closed the door, not entering after him. He didn't think much of it until he saw Hattori along with Akito and the famous Senri. If Hattori and the clan head's boyfriend were allowed…

Immediately a deep, smooth voice he was so familiar with yet seemed so foreign to him invaded his thoughts. "Hatsuharu…"

He knew he should be scared. But he wasn't frightened that easily. He had to have done something wrong. But he needed to know what it was first. He kneeled in a formal position a few feet from the door.

"Momiji is precious to me." He knew that. Everybody knew.

"So I'll come straight to the point." The small dark figure by the window shifted as Akito turned to face him fully from his original perch on the window sill. "You have been spending a lot of time with Momiji, am I right?"

"He is my closest cousin and my best friend. Of course I spend a lot of time with him. Akito bristled and the other two silent men in the room tensed. The intense stare turned to slits. "Don't test my patience, cow."

Silence for a few moments, the air thick.

"He's hurt." Haru didn't expect that.

"Momiji? How? Is he ok?" He didn't hide the concern in his voice. It was the clan head's turn to play cool now.

"He's alright," the older of the two said as his body visibly relaxed. Hattori and Senri visibly tensed more. This conversation was taking a turn for the worse and all four could feel it. "He transformed in front of his mother and sister in his father's company today. Got hit by a few falling boxes."

Haru almost choked. He… what? But… Momiji… His mum…

"He's alright." The clan head repeated. "The boxes didn't do much damage. Hardly a bump. They hardly contained anything. And he seems to be dealing with the shock quite well."

Haru gave an almost inaudible sigh of relief. "Momiji is strong in that way." He told Akito. He knew the little bunny would cope. It did hurt him. But he'll cope. He always does.

"But he isn't strong in others."

_Huh? _

"What have you been doing to him, Hatsuharu?"

"What?"

"I asked what you have been doing to him!" Hattori stepped forward and Senri got up to hold back the skinnier boy. "Why is he hurt! Why is his body covered in bruises that were not from the boxes! I let you have him! I let you! You ungrateful…. THING!"

If the bigger boy hadn't held Akito back Haru knew he'd be half dead by now, torn apart by Akito's bare hands. But, stunned, the bi-colored hair boy could hardly move from his position on the floor. "I…I thought you said he was alright."

"YOU…YOU…" Struggling against the strong hold on him, Akito could only scream his angry protests as Hattori dragged Hatsuharu out of the room and away, Akito's screams fading and echoing in the empty hallways even after they came to the porch.

Slightly shaken, Haru let his older cousin drag him out and away from the main house and back to his own home. Hattori let the quiet boy settle down before saying, "Momiji is alright. You need not worry."

"Who does he think he is?"

Hattori took a small step back at the snarled question, filled with obvious menace. _Oh no_. He thought as he watched his younger cousin stand up into a hostile position, shoulders hunched and eyes shadowed.

He had turned black.

"That bastard!"

"Now, calm down Hatsuha…"

"What did he mean by that? Huh? Hurt Momiji? He's one to talk! That bastard hurt everybody a thousand times more than anybody else ever could! How dare he talk about hurting!"

Hattori knew it was useless to talk to the angry cow now. He began to back away from the teen and move towards the door but the boy moved too fast and before Hattori could guess what was happening his collar was in Haru's fist and his face mere inches from the other's face.

"He deserved what he got, the stupid rabbit. And I'll make sure that bastard gets it too."

Hattori's eyes widened at that statement, barely above a snarled whisper. He didn't dare believe it before now. He saw the bruises on Momiji's body which colored the young boy's pale skin. He just didn't dare believe it until now. But this was too much. Hatsuharu? They were so close. Something was deadly wrong here.

He didn't have time to think of much else as a fist connected hard with his jaw and he stumbled back and out of the room. Hattori didn't think twice as his animal instincts kicked in. He started to run. This new Hatsuharu spelled danger many times worse than even the harshest Black Haru he had seen.

Apparently, the harshest just got harsher.

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**I don't know how many of you still follow the story. I think I'm forgotten in this FF world already. This part was unexpected. I didn't expect Hattori to be the one there and.. everything. Hehee...But it turned out quite all right. The storyline I mean. And exact idea where this is going.**


	12. Really

**A Very Long Author's Note:**

**Well, I'm back! Some of you may be happy, some not. And those who are happy may not be after reading this chapter. I am terribly sorry to have kept you waiting. Not really sorry for not writing, I must admit, but for making you guys wait. **

**I am very surprised and thankful for those who reviewed months after I stopped updating this story. And, to be honest, it's not that I don't want to write, but it's that I don't _know_ what to write. I lost track of my story. That happens when I don't think about it. I'm over the FB craze. I'm right now, in fact, into Harry Potter. Can you blame me? Tom Felton is hot. (I'm going to update that one too since I'm on the roll now. Read pls.)**

**My writing style is constantly changing. It can be due to several reasons. My style changes with my mood, because I type according to the way I talk. The tone, the slang, the rhythm, the…everything. You get the idea. So you may find subtle differences in every chapter. Also, I change with every other story I read, I'm influenced easily. I'm been reading a lot of Lightning on the Wave's fics. And when I read my own, I have a distinct sense of self-pity. I think I've changed a little since then. Writing, views, and all. (One reason why I lost track of this story and all others)**

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LadyMelieka: ****Thank You for that deal offered. As you can see, it was that only one more push I needed.**LadyMelieka: 

**Thank you to all the rest for your reviews. Most of you asked when I was going to update or just to say that you want me to update, and that means a lot to me.**

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**Disclaimer: I do not own Fruits Basket or any of its characters.**

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"I swear to you, Akito! It was all on my own! I chose to go there! I could have stopped him if I wanted to, I didn't –"

"You could have stopped him? You? You could hardly even stop a mosquito from biting you! You could have hardly stopped me before!"

Silence for a moment at the mention of a past no one wanted or needed at the moment.

"Please…" Momiji's quiet plea had more effect than his whining/shouting for the past ten minutes did on Akito. But his anger won and he steeled himself against his younger cousin.

"It _sickens_ me to think that he did that to you." He said, his voice was low. Dangerous.

Momiji opened his mouth to reply but Akito cut him off again.

"And to think that you say that you _chose_ for it to happen!" His voice belied his disbelief through his deadly tone and he continued before Momiji had a chance to cut in again. "Do you know how absolutely _fucking_ ridiculous you sound Momiji?"

The blond visibly shivered and shrunk away to the corner of the bed he sat on but Akito could hardly care that he frightened the poor kid now. Better to have him frightened than hurt.

He made to advance a step but a hand on his shoulder stopped him. The voice of Senri came from behind him. "Maybe I should talk to him, Akito."

Akito, eyes never leaving the vulnerable form on the bed, replied, "You don't know him like I do, Senri –"

"_Alone_."

He snapped his head around to glare at his lover behind him, tearing his eyes away from his cousin. A pair of dark brown eyes, almost black, stared right back. He felt his anger reaching another peak but a quick movement of Senri's eyes towards the small form behind him halted the arguments in his throat.

With a last, smoldering gaze at the larger man, Akito pulled his kimono tighter around him and walked from the room.

Senri stood there for a minute, silently observing the boy who has become so close to him in the past few years, huddled, bruised, and looking so, so small. His gut suddenly felt like it was being wrenched and pulled out of his mouth. He had to swallow to fight the lump in his throat. He had sworn, once before, to protect this boy who sacrificed so much more to protect everyone else, deserving or not.

He had failed in that task so far. He would not let that mistake persist any longer.

"Momiji," He was careful to make his voice gentle and soothing, like whenever he had to talk to his brothers and sisters in their more delicate moments.

"It really wasn't his fault." A muffled voice came from the boy, his face being buried in his arms.

"Neither is it yours, Momiji. You have to remember that." Senri crept closer to the bed, lowering his large body slowly onto the soft mattress. His movements were careful, like approaching a scared animal. Thinking about it, it most probably was.

"I know," then the head lifted. "I just didn't know what to say to Akito to convince him that it wasn't Haru's."

Senri sighed and reached out a hand to smooth and pet and fuss over the soft blond head. It was easy to forget that Momiji was actually much smarter than he usually portrayed himself to be. _He hides too much._

Momiji noticed the slight brood of Senri and just let him mother him for a while. The massaging on his skull was soothing his bruised head anyway. He closed his eyes and allowed the movement to lull him to a doze.

"He didn't do anything else, did he?" Senri's voice made him crack an eye open to peer at him in question. The older man had a hard look in his eyes and Momiji stiffened instinctively.

"Hatsuharu. Did he do anything else other than hit you?" As naïve as the Momiji pretended to be, he wasn't, and he knew where this was leading to. He lifted his head from its perch on his folded arms, making Senri's hand fall away, and narrowed his eyes.

"What are you getting at?" It was his turn to sound threatening, but Senri didn't back off. He had to be absolutely sure, so he continued to probe with his gaze.

Finally, Momiji snapped his gaze away. "No. He didn't _touch_ me in anyway other than to hit me, if that's what you mean."

A breath that Senri didn't know he'd been holding in rushed out between his clenched teeth in a sharp sigh of relief. Looking at the blond hugging his knees till the muscles in this forearm were visibly defined and his knuckles turned white, trying to burn a hole in his abandoned blanket, Senri felt a touch of sympathy for the boy.

"Momiji," he went back to his soothing tone. "I just had to make sure."

Momiji kept up his uptight stance for a moment more before taking a deep breath and noticeably calming himself down. "I know." He rested his head on his arm again.

Another gut-wrenching pull tugged at his heart. He started to pull his blanket up his legs and over the boy, forcing him to lean back and lie back down onto the bed. "Get some rest."

The boy didn't protest as he tucked him into bed, but he didn't close his eyes when he got up to leave and he could still see those open eyes staring up at the ceiling when he switched off the lights and closed the door behind him.

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**This chapter is to, more than anything (COS I SERIOUSLY FORGOT WHERE THIS IS GOING! AND I'M STILL TRYING TO RECALL, EVEN AFTER READING IT MYSELF FROM THE BEGINNING) to let you all know that Haru did NOT, like my sister assumes, rape Momiji.**

**Oh, and I know there are different ways of spelling the names, but I like these best. And I also know that Akito is a girl now. But hey! I don't think I read past the 10th book. As I said, I'm past FB. And I liked the story where I stopped. (And thank goodness I stopped too.)**


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